For my first ever post, we went off to Wareham Forest in search of crossbills. Almost as soon as we got out of the car, we spotted a huge flock of mixed finches flitting among the trees. I managed to find chaffinches, goldfinches and greenfinches as well as a superb pair of siskins. We continued to scan the trees for anything interesting, but all we could find was a pair of blackbirds and several squirrels. Then, a female crossbill landed in the tree in front of us. She was promptly forced to move as a male took her position. An absolutely fantastic new bird for me and a great view as well. Elsewhere in the forest we found coal, marsh, blue, great and long tailed tits, several great spotted woodpeckers, 4 buzzards, 8 jays, magpies and a few robins. We then decided to have a look on Coombe Heath at Arne. The usual tits, finches and thrushes were around in the trees, and there were several meadow pipits, skylarks and stonechats on the heath. Huge numbers of shelducks, canada geese and godwits were on the estuary, but there was no sign of the dartford warbler we had come for. After two and a half hours of walking around the heath, the only birds other than pipits and stonechats being a wren and several greenfinches, we decided to have a closer look at two slightly suspect looking egrets. We identify them as their bills were hidden inside their wings. Thankfully a flock of shelducks and little egrets took flight which made the birds look around, revealing their spoon-shaped bills. A stunning pair of spoonbills, my second sighting at Arne and third ever of the species. Just as we were about to leave the heath, the bird we had come for appeared, a magnificent male dartford sitting on top of a gorse barely 10 yards away, to complete a superb day.
Life total: 1318
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